Method and system for facilitating the review of electronic documents

摘要

A method and system is provided for facilitating the review of electronic documents such as patent, trademark and design documents. Example embodiments of methods provide a business context for performing the review, a role within the business context together with the event that is the reason for the review to be requested.

主权项

1. A computer implemented method for facilitating review of an electronic document, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) displaying on a user interface information relating to the electronic document and information relating to a particular context that the electronic document is to be reviewed by a user, the electronic document comprising a patent record or specification, a trade mark record or specification, or a design record or specification, wherein the particular context is selectable from a plurality of contexts, the plurality of contexts comprising one or more of a business context for performing a review of the electronic document by the user, a role within the business context that the user is performing the review, and an event that triggers a review of the electronic document by the user, the information on the user interface comprises a visual map of different groups associated with the particular context, the different groups represented by the visual map comprise different business competitors associated with the particular context, each group is represented by an icon that is proportionately sized to represent a number of items within the group in relation to items within other groups represented by the visual map, and the visual map is configured to present additional information about the items represented by an icon as an overlay on the visual map in response to a user selecting the icon, the additional information comprising at least one of a brief description of a commercial operation of the business competitor associated with the icon, a country of origin of the business competitor associated with the icon, and a number of patent properties of the business competitor associated with the icon that have previously been reviewed and indicated as relevant to the electronic document; (b) enabling the user to enter into the user interface an indication of their review of the electronic document for the particular context; and (c) displaying on the user interface information relating to an another context that the electronic document is to be reviewed or has been reviewed.